How to tidy up BY net? :: Charter'97 :: News

Information ministry of Belarus is actively drafting the act regulating the internet mass media activities. In his exclusive interview to the information agency ”Interfax-Zapad” the deputy minister of information Alyaksandr Slabadchuk declared that the problems typical of internet editions are similar to those of many published mass media ( biased publications , hidden advertising, copyright violation., etc.).Thus the rights and legitimate interests of legal entities and individuals are being violated. For this reason the internet mass media development may not go beyond the legal norms and regulations. So this sphere of activities must be put in order at the legislative level”.

The interview with the official is offered to your attention. The replies in the interview will help you to answer the question bothering today the internet users: what is in store for the Belarusian internet after the act on internet mass media is adopted?

-Mr.Slabadchuk, today there are a lot of disputes on the necessity of the state regulation of the internet mass media .What are the probable consequences of the absence of the normative base for regulation of this sphere of activities?

-Introduction of the regulatory base doesn’t anyway interfere with rights or freedoms .Any sphere of activities must be legally regulated. And as far as the internet resources including internet editions are concerned, their activities are no way regulated in our country. Their legal status has not been
For example, the problems typical of internet editions are similar to those of many published mass media (biased publications, hidden advertising, copyright violation, etc.). Thus the rights and legitimate interests of legal entities and individuals are being violated. For this reason the internet mass media development may not go beyond the legal norms and regulations. So this sphere of activities must be put in order at the legislative level.
Now this subject is widely discussed at the pages of the non-state-owned mass media, especially after the recent address of the head of the state to the Sovetskaya Belorussia editorial board. The task of this sphere regulation was formulated along with creation of the powerful internet portal.
When I hear that it means violation of free access to information I would like to admit that, frankly speaking, it is not true. I can’t understand who such like tricks are targeted at. Those who one way or another deal with the world “information web” well understand that it is impossible to stop either physically or technically access to the alternative information sources in internet.
The valid law on press and other information media was drafted and adopted when the internet had not appeared in the country, yet. That is why the clauses of this act do not directly comply with the internet activities.
With this in view the working group is being created at the republican level for researching and developing of the issue.

-What is the way of protection against libel in internet mass media, against pornography in internet? Is it possible to protect the intellectual property without corresponding laws (all the law-obedient mass media deal with the problem of information theft)?

A certain legal mechanism of the public rights protection is available, including protection against libel and pornography. Thus, those whose rights have been violated in the internet may claim to the court or law enforcement bodies for protection of their rights and legitimate interests.
In case the subject web site which have presented the arbitrary ( unverified , disgracing, unlawful ) information is determined along with its owner they may be claimed for repaying of the damage and sued in compliance with the norms of the valid law.
But it can be problematic to identify the subject who has breached this or that right as the majority of information is anonymous and identification of its primary source may turn to become impossible.
Furthermore, in compliance with the valid law the internet editions cannot be qualified as mass media. That is why it so happens nowadays that if it is not prohibited by the law than it is allowed to place anything to your liking at the site. It mustn’t be like that, there should be a counterbalance.

What is your attitude to the viewpoint of the OSCE representative Miklos Haraszti who often categorically spoke against censorship in internet?

If double standards are dropped than Miklos Haraszti himself has to realize that it is necessary to impose restrictions in compliance with international standards against the internet pornography, terrorism, extremism, violence and other negative phenomena. That is for the interests of the world public, including Belarus.